A walk through the time of Spokepoint showcasing 3 of the problems we faced and the context around them relating to Clojure and ClojureScript

1. Yet another startup
built on Clojure(Script)
Presented at Copenhagen Clojure Meetup August 2015 by Paul Lam (@Quantisan)

2. Agenda
Architecture Clojurescript Team
2014 2015

3. Our front-end timeline
Flight.js Enfocus + JS Reagent
2014 2015

6. Customers, Customers, Customers

7. Spokepoint v0.1
Google
Sheets
Internet
Data mining
(manual)
Ourselves
Customer
Ourselves

8. Spokepoint v0.2
Google
Sheets
Internet
Ourselves
Customer
Me
Data mining
(Clojure &
Go)

9. Spokepoint v0.3
Google
Sheets
Internet
Ourselves
Customer
Sheet API
(Python)
Data mining
(Clojure &
Go)

10. Spokepoint v0.4
Google
Sheets
Internet
Data mining
(Clojure &
Go)
Customer
Flight.js
<iframe>

11. Spokepoint v1.0-SNAPSHOT
Google
Sheets
Internet
Search
(Clojure)
Sheet API
(Python)
Customer
Flight.js
REST over HTTPS

13. Spokepoint v1.0 (3rd month, private beta)
Google
Sheets
Internet
Search
(Clojure)
Sheet API
(Python)
Customer
Flight.js
MySQL
Account
(Go)

14. Good
● Moved fast by only
building what’s
needed
Bad
● > 4 languages in
production
● Complexities in the
interfaces
● Boilerplate HTTP
servers
● No cross-system
versioning
Trade-offs

15. Build, Build, Build
Phase 2

16. Phase 2 Target
Architecture
2014 2015
Launched 1st August
We’re here now

17. Making it happen
Architecture
2014 2015
Launching 1st August
Know what customers want,
now make it happen in the app
Most needs are on the frontend
Clojurescript

18. Need more front-end manpower

19. Single Page Application:
My thinking at the time
Javascript
● Existing frontend is in
Javascript
● Humongous community
● SPA frameworks: React,
Ember, Flight.js, etc.
● All the supporting
libraries that we would
need
● Pool of JS talent readily
available
Clojurescript
● I am “10x” more
productive in Clojure
● Interoperable with
Javascript

20. Built a new feature with Clojurescript
for the first time
project.clj
router.cljs
pitch_builder.cljs
template/list.html

23. A better way of organizing Reagent app,
https://github.com/Day8/re-frame
Code Showcase:
What not to do

24. Grow, Grow, Grow
Phase 3

25. Architecture Clojurescript
2014 2015
Customers want a platform

26. Architecture Clojurescript
2014 2015
Hired 3rd developer
Team

27. Startup concerns on Clojure(Script)
CEO Hiring and training
Uncommon stack lessen chances
of funding or acquisition
CTO Many libraries are one-person
projects

28. Our job posting in August
“Spokepoint is an MIT startup in Cambridge, MA looking for
a Clojurescript frontend contractor (remote possible). Don't
know Clojurescript? Doesn't matter. I can help you with
that. We are looking for the right person rather than
checking a set of skills.
Our web apps are built on Clojurescript, Clojure, Go, and
Docker.”

29. 3 out of 3 of our developers
with different backgrounds
survived Clojure and ClojureScript

31. Summary
● Built minimal pieces with pain driven
development method
● Clojurescript / Reagent enabled us to deliver
quickly on the front-end
● There are developers that want to get paid to
use Clojure and Clojurescript

32. Credits to my team
Isaac Chansky
Elizabeth Hagearty
Tony Tam
Dan Siegel
and with thanks to the Clojure community